Good Morning from my Robotics Lab! This is Shadow_8472, and today, and likely for the next couple weeks, I am studying up on how computer vision software works so I can get started on the software to convey a message to my feline friend about venturing in places he isn’t welcome. Let’s get Started!
I decided a long time ago that I wanted to explore the free and open source option OpenCV for this project. From what I can tell, I will need to play around with OpenCV on my desktop first to get a feel of how to use it.
As of the time of writing, I believe my workflow will start with getting OpenCV onto a Linux desktop. After I’m comfortable with how it works, I can try running it on the Pi. Depending on how well the Pi takes it, I will develop the actual program on either my PacMan Ghost case, Blinkie Pie, or my Ubuntu server tower, Derpy Chips. A period of testing will involve Blinkie watching the forbidden area and logging suspicious activity: basically anything that moves, and narrow that down to naughty cat behavior. While that’s happening, I need to develop an audio turret.
My mother actually found a dog training device that emits high frequencies, and the cats aren’t too fond of it either. I’ve already tried taking it apart, and it’s so cheap, getting into the case for tinkering will mean a new case. My goal for this phase is to get the Blinkie to turn the nasty sounds on from a remote desktop.
Once I have my cat identification program working reliably, I can connect it to the frequency generator and set it loose. For the first few days and weeks, I’ll want to monitor it and evaluate its results by looking at pictures from suspect incidents. I’m looking forward to obedient cats.
Final Question: Have you worked with Neural Nets on Computer Vision problems before?